SPINEFARM
US Melodic metallers prove anaesthetised to Armageddon
With its apocalyptic title, Saul’s second album initially presents itself as vigorously bold. This Is It… The End Of Everything sets out to critique technological and societal disconnection, but musically feels divorced from its strong mission statement. Rather than pushing sonic boundaries, the Iowa alt metallers are playing it rather safe. While there’s a compelling spark of tech-y experimentation, the Saul formula lacks a key ingredient: urgency. Any glimmer of grit is quickly snuffed out, the raw injection of growls or sharp distortion mellowing out into a hard rock sound. Rumbling soundscapes repeatedly blur into one, as tracks linger in the same sets of vocals, dynamics and sonic textures. If Saul are soundtracking Armageddon, they don’t sound overly concerned, rehashing well-trodden ground with less conviction than those who came before them. ■■■■■■■■■■